This is just a note for most of you on the Org who are posting about the most inane topics while being oblivious to the greatest natural disaster of modern time. The shit has hit the fan with the tsunamis in Asia. Please spare a thought, and hopefully some money in the form of donations.

This is just a note for most of you on the Org who are posting about the most inane topics while being oblivious to the greatest natural disaster of modern time.


" most of you "

" while being oblivious to "


please ...

Mach said:

Just look at the lack of comments in this topic. Why are there more comments about 'panties in the freezer'??
[Edited 12/30/04 8:02am]

sabaisabai said:

perhaps... just perhaps... people are speechless and have no idea what to say or do

you should not throw us all into your "most of you" statement

you have NO idea what people are feeling and thinking or doing in their private thoughts and actions

and your insulting comment does not one ounce of good during times such as these... either

though i can understand how you are viewing the lack of comments as lack of care

but i feel you may be wrong in your assumptions about the people here

i mean you no offence or disrespect...

just expressing my reaction to your post and how i felt insulted by it

Of course it's a very sad thing , and i feel sorry for all the victims
but what can we possibly do about it ?

Why should it stop us from posting anything else ?
Do you expect us to sit at home crying all the time ?
[Edited 12/30/04 8:09am]

Dewrede said:

You can send some money for starters.

No, it doesn't stop you posting anything else. I'm just dumbfounded by the lack of comments about it in comparison to the 99% of drivel.

Mach, I didn't say all of you, just *most* of you. I honestly believe that most (being more than half) haven't given it much thought, based on my unscientific study of what's been posted on the Org. You can't take such a comment as insultating since *most* does not mean *you* and all of you.
[Edited 12/30/04 8:14am]

Mach said:

amen... and if U looked around U would see there are a few threads that have been started and it has been discussed... people react differently... i read and rarely post.. so U goning to say i have no feelings about it????.. i have people at my job taking donations for their churches to send to the many organizations that are taking donations.. so we can do more than just talk let's DO then .....

oh and here is a good site to start.....


http://www.interaction.org/


U have to give people tools not just directions.....

Look at the thread I just started, called DONATION.

MarieLouise said:

Sorry, I hadn't seen that thread.

I've donated $300, which is still a lot less than I spend on Christmas

I dont feel the need to prove to anyone that I care and that I have and will continue to help the best I am able to.

I understand where your feelings come from, but I also echo Mach in that everyone deals with such tragedies differently. Because I choose to post on a frozen panty thread here doesn't mean I haven't cried my heart out over something so horrible I can't even yet comprehend it.
Many come to the org as an escape, a little fun and joy on the side of their otherwise boring, mundane, or sometimes heartbreaking day. If we choose to ignore the harsh reality of what's going on in the world a little bit, once in a while, I think that's OK. It doesn't mean we aren't facing it, dealing, helping, crying, etc. somewhere else.

sabaisabai said:

one of my best friends was having his birthday while on Phuket last Sunday. He saw the tsunami coming in while having breakfast with his parents & brother. Luckily all are safe. Since Sunday he is there to help and comfort, as much as possible, and has recovered more than a dozen bodies. This is the very first time that someone close to me is involved with a tragedy like this. All I can do is donate (which I did) while he is still there after 5 days, trying to make a difference. He's my personal hero and I'm proud to be his friend!
[Edited 12/30/04 8:36am]

sabaisabai said:

Well, I'm dumbfounded by your attitude!

Do not tell me what to think or do. You have absolutely no idea what anyone who posts here is doing and/or thinking in relation to this disaster. I take offense to you flouncing in here and posting that patronising shit about *most* of the people on this site.

I can only assume you have been affected by this disaster to the point it's caused you to take leave of your senses.

the way you feel about this disaster is totally understandable, but it doesn't give you the right to be so patronizing to others about it. it's attitudes like these that almost make folks not wanna help.

Dude, you MUST be joking. I've been praying ever since i heard about that, because it is such a tragedy. More people have been lost to the tsunamin than victims of the WTC, and it would be so wrong since we're not used to tragedies like that, and when that happened we wanted SO much sympathy from the world, if we seemed like we didn't care when other people were having a hard time. That's just my point of view. Now i feel that we can relate to other places in the world because of that and we should display some level of compassion, but to each his own. This isn't Asia. I'd LOVE to send money, and even go over there and help if i could, but unfortunately, i can't and my faith is all i have to rely on. So if that's not enough and people are still ungreatful for that, then that's on them.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

I understand your reaction, but I think this only makes it worse.

If you don't want people to be patronizing or judging your 'supposed' reaction, don't pay attention to it. And let your reaction be what you want it to be. Don't let it be affected by others. We may be sad about the way this thread started, out of anger, but to worry about this takes us away from the bigger issues. This is no time to be insulted, not by anyone. This is a time to take other things into consideration. By which I'm not implying people here are not doing this.

I'm not proud of the opening of this thread. It was in anger. I thing there's a lot of value in the thread, in people's reactions, and the ongoing discusion. I'm just sorry to have started it in such a negative light.

sabaisabai said:

I think we should all give you a break. I see you live in Signapore, which makes it all understandable. You're probably surrounded by feelings of anger and disbelief. Anger is a normal reaction after such a disaster. I talked to some Americans after 9/11, man, it was like I was in the plane or something.
I mean, your reaction is pretty normal.

Besides, when I was watching tv at my father's place yesterday, I saw a Dutch guy sitting in a bar in Phuket (or how do you write this?) He was sitting next to a complete chaos, but he was flirting with two Thai women. He said sth like 'yeah pretty bad, but life goes on and there are still all those horny girls (lekkere wijven)' That's what I call being insensitive !

It is so horrible! I can't even watch the all news! Horrible! I can't help them, I can't send what I don't have! I'm sorry!

MarieLouise said:

it could have been a belgian guy as well, it would only have been 'schone poppekes'.....I mean there will always be people like that, unfortunately.

sabaisabai said:

s'Ok. Your anger is understandable.

abierman said:

Hey 'gozer', I wasn't offending the Dutchies. I only felt offended by this guy, and would have been as offended if he had said 'schone poppemiekes'. I mean, life goes on, but does that mean that you have to drink cocktails with some Thai whores, next a pile of dead bodies??? Of course, it's the tv that payed attention to it.

I spare more than a thought.

Earlier we thought my cousin and his family were safe but he called from Bangkok saying his legs are not feeling a thing and he doesn't know where his wife and kids are.

I was wrong earlier, I'm sorry if I offended you in any way.

edits
[Edited 12/30/04 9:48am]

sabaisabai said:

i can "take the comment" any way i wish
you are far from one that could begin to tell me how to feel or react

MarieLouise said:[quote]

sabaisabai said:

I think we should all give you a break. I see you live in Signapore, which makes it all understandable. You're probably surrounded by feelings of anger and disbelief. Anger is a normal reaction after such a disaster. I talked to some Americans after 9/11, man, it was like I was in the plane or something.
I mean, your reaction is pretty normal.



I think this sumation is pretty accurate...

I think we can all say that our hearts and prayers are with the People of those 11 countries...
[Edited 12/30/04 10:15am]

sag10 said:[quote]

MarieLouise said:

good points sag

Kayleigh said:

Aw, that's awful ! Strength, love and hope to you and your family

MarieLouise said:

Disasters bring out the good in some and the bad in others. People sitting in bars and flirting might be his way of dealing with what goes on around him. I feel upset by his reaction, but I am not willing to judge a person on bad taste, cuz you keep on going.

I have seen tapes of people looting and robbing dead people. I mean, taking watches off dead people and pocketing...

Again, the deed is vile, but who are we to judge? We do not know these people's predicament; most lost everything. Often what seems unbelievable to us is just staying alive, or in the case of the indeed really silly Dutch guy, just a way to handle the harshness of the truth.

HamsterHuey said:

I agree with what you said. And as I said before, I still think it's mostly a matter of bad taste of the tv to show things like that. Of course every one has other reactions and ways to deal with hoorible things, but I don't see the value in showing stuff like that, when there are so many important things to say...Which means I also have to stop nagging about it.